The Christmas Bride by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery [Mallery, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488088872
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“Take another drink of tea,” Lina said soothingly.

Kayleen wrinkled her nose. The brew was a nasty herbal concoction that tasted like wet carpet smelled, but her friend assured her it would help. At this point, Kayleen was open to any suggestions.

She finished the mug and set it on the table, then grabbed a cookie she didn’t want to get the taste out of her mouth.

“Better?” Lina asked.

Kayleen nodded because it was expected. In truth she didn’t feel better, she felt awful. She still couldn’t get herself to understand what had happened or how she’d so quickly and easily lost her moral compass. Yes, As’ad was handsome and charming and an amazing kisser, but she should have been stronger than that.

Lina sighed. “I can see by the look on your face that you’re still beating yourself up. You need to let it go. Men like my nephew have been tempting women since the beginning of time.”

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the information,” Kayleen murmured. “It’s just…”

“It doesn’t help,” Lina said kindly.

“Sort of. I feel so stupid and inexperienced.”

“At least you’re more experienced than you were.”

Despite everything, Kayleen smiled. “That’s true. I won’t fall for that again. Next time, I’ll resist.”

Assuming there was a next time. Her last meeting with As’ad had ended badly. He had to be furious.

“He was serious about marrying you,” Lina told her. “Don’t dismiss that.”

“I didn’t have a choice. He didn’t propose—he commanded, then he expected me to be grateful. I know he’s part of your family and you love him, but that wasn’t a proposal, Lina. He’s just so…”

“Imperious?”

“Among other things.”

And it hurt, Kayleen admitted to herself. That he would talk to her that way. If he’d come to her with compassion, truly understanding what she was going through, she would have been appreciative of what he offered. She might have been tempted to say yes. At least then her world would have been set right. But to act the way he had?

“I understand,” Lina said. “As’ad is like most princes—used to being impressive. He handled the situation badly and violated your romantic fantasy at the same time.”

Kayleen frowned. “I don’t have a romantic fantasy.”

“Don’t you?”

An interesting question. She’d never really thought about getting married and having a family, so she’d never really thought about a proposal. But if she had, it would have been different. Flowers and candlelight and a man promising to love her forever.

The image was clear enough to touch, she thought ruefully.

“Okay, maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t allow myself to believe it would ever happen, but deep down inside, I wanted more than instructions and an order to feel grateful.”

Lina winced. “That bad?”

“Oh, yeah. The only good news is I slammed the bathroom door in his face. I don’t think that happens to As’ad very much.” She touched her stomach, as if she could rub away the knot that had formed inside. If As’ad was angry enough, he could send her away and she might never see the girls again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.